Secrets at Wolfram & Hart
by Khayla
Summary: When Angel hires a new girl to work for W&H, she quickly fits in with the team. Until a freaky demon thing starts attacking. And apparently, she knows more about what's going on than she's letting them know. R&R!
1. Meet Phoenix

A/N~ Hello people, just so you know, this was the first fic I ever wrote, but I never finished it, so I decided to post it again, finish it and see what happens! I actually have a plan this time so it should work out better! And just for the record, this happens at the beginning of season 5, and Spike's still a 'ghost'. Anyway, enough talking, on with the story!  
  
Disclaimer~ I don't own Angel, or any characters from Angel, I just own Phoenix and my little storyline I've got going here...so don't sue!  
  
Angel stood on the rooftop, looking down at the dark alleys below him. It was a cool, breezy night, perfect for walks under the full moon, creating perfect preys for any vampire or other creatures of the night that might be luring around these parts. Expectantly, a scream pierced the silence of the night. Angel jerked around and headed in the direction of the scream.  
  
In a dark alley, a vampire was closing in on a young, slender woman. Suddenly, Angel jumped out of the shadows onto the vampire's back, catching him by surprise. It was not long before Angel took control of the fight. Seconds later, Angel pocketed his stake and turned back to the woman. Now that Angel looked at her properly, he noticed that she was of a rare beauty. Her light, reddish-brown hair flowed down to her shoulder in soft waves. She had beautiful features and her emerald-green eyes seemed to shine in the darkness of the alley. She was looking reproachfully are Angel, arms crossed on her chest. Angel looked at her expectantly, though she said nothing. "Um...you're welcome?" said Angel.  
  
The woman, still staring at Angel angrily, walked up to him and pointed her own stake at his face.  
  
"You realize I had that completely under control?" she said, waving the sharp stake in front of his eyes. Angel backed away instinctively, eyeing the stake fearfully.  
  
"Um...do you...mind?" Angel said, still looking at the stake's point.  
  
"What, are you afraid I'll poke your eye out?" the woman asked sarcastically, turning around and walking to her bag lying on the ground by the wall.  
  
"No...well...I'm sorry, its just I'm...well..."Angel starts uncomfortably.  
  
"A vampire? Yeah, I got that much. Angel, right?" the girl said, looking up at him from her kneeling position on the ground.  
  
"Yeah. How did you know that?" Angel asked, surprised.  
  
"You dropped this," she says without looking up, showing Angel a Wolfram & Hart business card. "You know, I've heard of Wolfram & Hart before," she says, gathering her things, "but now that people like you are in charge, I reckon it'll be interesting to see how things work out. Give me a call if you ever need any help." She straightens up and swings her bag around her shoulder. "See you around." She flicks the business card back at Angel, before walking off.  
  
Angel, still standing in the same spot, looks down at the card, which now has Phoenix Brown, 450-452-2310 written on the back. Angel looks up from the card, smiling slightly. "She's good," he whispers, before walking off.~~~~  
  
Angel is sitting in his office, staring at the card in his hands. Wesley walks in, looking at Angel desperately. Angel quickly puts down the business card, taking his feet of the desk.  
  
"Angel, this is unbelievable, I have looked through every employee's file and not one has any slaying experience."  
  
"And that's bad?" Angel asks, dumbly.  
  
"Yes. We need more than one person to be able to slay a creature once in a while. I know this company is used to dealing with dark forces, not against them, but if we are going to make that change, we will need people to help."  
  
"Well, do we know of anyone that could help?"  
  
"I came here to ask you the same question."  
  
"Well I d--...On second thought, there is one person. I need to make a call and I'll get back to you on that."  
  
"All right then, but keep in mind we already have plenty of business and we need help...fast." Wesley walks out, leaving Angel to make his call.~~~~  
  
That night, Angel was walking down the street towards the spot where he had agreed to meet Phoenix. As he approached the park bench, he could make out her slender figure against the glow of the moon.  
  
He quietly walked to her, his shoes making no noise as they hit the ground. When he got within arm's reach, Phoenix, whose back had been to him as he walked down the sidewalk, whirled around, quickly pinning his arms behind his back and bringing a knife to his throat.  
  
"Wow, wait a sec, it's me," Angel shouted as the blade rested on his neck.  
  
Phoenix, quickly realizing her mistake, withdrew the blade and let go of his arms, repeating countless apologies.  
  
"I am so sorry...it's just you kind of crept up on me there..." she says with a sigh.  
  
"Yeah, well, no need to be so wound up," Angel says, rubbing his arm where Phoenix's nails had dug into his shirt.  
  
"Sorry, but I've had to many bad experience to relax at night," she said, slipping her knife back into her pack.  
  
"Well then you're just what I'm looking for." He dug into his pocket and retrieved a set of keys, an ID card, and a piece of notebook paper.  
  
"Anyway, here's are the keys to your office and other random doors you might need to open, your employee badge, and the building's address. See you in the morning then."  
  
Angel turned around and started walking away, but Phoenix called him back.  
  
"Angel...thanks...and sorry about the rude welcome," she said, smiling apologetically.  
  
"No problem," Angel responded, grinning back before walking away again.~~~~  
  
The next day, Phoenix showed up at the office earlier than most and headed straight to where her office was supposedly located. She came up to a door, and instead of getting out her key, she inserted a silver pin into the locked door.  
  
"Come on, work your magic," she whispers, staring blankly at it, a look of deep conversation on her face.  
  
"Can I help you?" says a voice from behind her.  
  
Phoenix spins around quickly retrieving the pin from the lock and slipping it inside the back pocket of her jeans. She looks up at a dark man, who is eyeing her suspiciously.  
  
"Um, hi...I...I'm Phoenix, Phoenix Brown. New," she says smiling innocently.  
  
"O yeah, you're the slayer Angel met in the alley, aren't you? Yeah, I heard about you. But what exactly do you think you were gonna find in the file storage room?"  
  
Phoenix looks around at the sign next to the door.  
  
"File storage...oh...wrong room, no wonder it was locked..." She walks up the hall to the next door. "Then this is probably my office." She pushes the door open. "Yeah, that makes sense. Sorry about that," she replies, looking at the man and smiling innocently.  
  
"No problem. I'm Charles Gunn by the way. Call me Gunn," Gunn says, holding out his hand.  
  
"Nice to meet you," says Phoenix, shaking Gunn's extended hand. "Listen, I better go. I have about 2 minutes to put my stuff up before I have to meet Angel. So I guess I'll see you around," she says, slipping into the office.  
  
"Yeah, I'll see you around," Gunn says as Phoenix closes the door behind her.  
  
A/N~ So what did you think? Let me know and review! 


	2. Curiosity and Doubts

A/N Alright, I didn't get that many review for the first chapter, but I decided to post the second one anyway, since the first one is kinda boring since its pretty much just introducing Phoenix and only giving a hint that she's got a secret..........anyways, hopefully you'll read the last one and enjoy this one, too, so here I go.........  
  
After having left Phoenix, Gunn started to wonder why she had tried to open the file storage door. She claimed she had simply gotten to the wrong door, but Gunn was no idiot: he knew a lie when he saw one, and Phoenix was obviously hiding something. But what?  
  
Gunn passed by Angel's office and decided to ask Angel if he knew anything. He walked in and found Angel sitting at his desk, fumbling with papers.  
  
"Hey, Gunn, good timing," Angel said, looking up from his papers. "Phoenix just left, I gave just her her first assignment, thought you could help her out in case she needed anything." Angel paused as he put the stack of papers in his drawer. "Have you guys met yet?"  
  
"Yeah. This morning. Look that's what I came to talk to you about. I think she's hiding something," Gunn said calmly.  
  
"And what exactly makes you think that?" Angel said, looking dumbly at Gunn.  
  
"I caught her trying to get into the file storage room this morning. She said she just got to the wrong door, but I have my doubts. I think she was trying to get something in there."  
  
"What would she want that's in the file storage room? And how do you even know it wasn't an accident? Her office is right next to it, isn't it, its not so hard to get mixed in here," Angel argued.  
  
"Maybe, but I still think we should look her up, check her files, see what she was up to before this. Maybe there could be something in there that could help us," Gunn said knowingly.  
  
"Fine, do whatever you what, but I'm telling you, there is no reason to believe there's anything wrong with her."  
  
"Alright, I'll get back to you if I find anything." Gunn started towards the door then stopped and looked back at Angel. "And can I borrow Wesley, he's better at that research stuff than I am."  
  
"Um, sure, as long as he's not working on anything else important."  
  
Gunn nodded and headed out the door towards Wesley's office.  
  
After having paid a short visit to Wesley explaining what he needed to get, Gun headed for Fred's lab. He walked in and headed towards Fred, who was sitting at her desk, doing work on the computer.  
  
"Hey Fred, I got a question for you," Gunn said as he reached her side. "What's in the file storage room?"  
  
Fred looked up at Gunn, looking startled by the random question. "Um, not much, just, well, files. Just a bunch of personal stuff about every client Wolfram & Hart ever had, details on every trial, and reports about what goes on in each department. Why are you asking?"  
  
"No reason, just curious."  
  
Gunn turned and walked out.  
  
"You're welcome!" Fred called out, left in her chair looking confused  
  
Phoenix was sitting in her office, going through reports from every department. Gunn walks in and Phoenix looks up from her work and smiles at him.  
  
"Hey Gunn, what can I do for you?" she asks cheerfully.  
  
"Well, I was assigned the task of doing your employee profile, everyone must have one. I just need a list of your previous jobs, your education, and your parents' names."  
  
"Parents are John and Marilyn Brown, I attended UCLA for 4 years double- majoring in law and ancient languages and history.........And do I really have to state every job?"  
  
"Yeah. Any job after college. But tell you what, why don't you just make a list and send it to me as soon as you can?" Gunn said.  
  
"Good, because I have a report to finish in two hours," Phoenix said, half desperately.  
  
"K then, let me know when you're done," Gunn said standing up.  
  
"Hey Phoenix, Fred found something than could be useful for the.........case........." Angel started as he walked in. "Am I interrupting anything here?" he added, looking from Gunn to Phoenix, confused.  
  
"No, I was just leaving. Just getting some information for her employee profile," Gunn said. As he stood up, he looked at Angel before walking by him and heading for the door.  
  
Angel looked around, looked a little disoriented. "Right, um, anyway, like I was saying, here's some evidence Fred found. She said you'd get it, because I honestly don't."  
  
"Great. Anything will help at this point," Phoenix said as Angel handed her the folder. "Thank Fred for me will you?"  
  
"Sure enough," Angel said. "Listen, Gunn wasn't bugging you about anything, was he?" he asked, looking worried.  
  
"Um, no, not that I know of. Should he?" Phoenix asked, looking a little amused.  
  
"No, no, of course not. Never mind that. Well, I better leave then, let you finish that report," Angel said, then walked out the door.  
  
After getting the job list from Phoenix, Gunn went back to his office and started studying it.  
  
"Law firms, agencies, art schools.........that's just a bunch of regular junk," he whispered to himself, letting out a sigh. Then, catching something, he straightened up in his chair. "Senior Partners? Well, well, well, would you look at that?" he said, smiling to himself. Quickly, he gathered up his papers and headed for Wesley's office 


	3. Previous Meetings and Files

A/N Alrighty, here come the third chapter...it gets better from here, you actually find something out! ...so here I go!   
  
Gunn walked into Wesley's office, waving the stack of papers in the air.  
  
"Take a look at this! Looks like our new little friend has buddies up at Senior Partners," Gunn proclaimed.  
  
"Well after you hear what I have to say, you'll think Senior Partners is nothing," Wesley said, motioning Gunn to is computer screen. "Take a look at what I found."  
  
Gunn walked over to Wesley's desk and bent over to look at the computer. As he read, his eyes got wider and wider.  
  
"Well that's definitely something. Print that out and let's go show Angel. I'm sure he'll be interested," Gunn said smugly.   
  
Gunn walked into Angel's office, quickly followed by Wesley.  
  
"I told you I'd find something on her," Gunn said, throwing the documents on Angel's desk. "Look what Wesley discovered."  
  
Angel picked up the papers Gunn had given him and starting reading them out loud.  
  
"Phoenix Brown was born Belinda Katelina Brown on January 19th, 1978, in London, England." Angel looked up from the papers, looking strangely at Gunn. "Well there's nothing weird about that, besides her name, but that doesn't mean anything."  
  
"Just keep reading," Gunn said, annoyed.  
  
"She changed her name to Phoenix in 1993 after her younger sister Marie Helen Brown was killed in a house fire. One year later, she became known as the greatest vampire slayer of all times in the New York area, though many who knew her proclaim that she was never able to kill the one, unknown beast she was after, whom she was rumored to have been tracking for many years." Angel put down the paper and looked up at Gunn. "Well that was definitely worth your time and effort."  
  
"And there's more. She'd been working for Senior Partners for the past three years."  
  
"Well there's another big something."  
  
"Maybe, but we still don't know for sure what she wants out of Wolfram & Hart," Gunn said.  
  
"Who said she wanted anything?" Wesley said, looking around, confused.  
  
"Gunn thinks Phoenix is plotting against us, even though he has no proof whatsoever," Angel said, looking at Gunn accusatorily.  
  
"Who knows?" Gunn said, loudly. "She's been keeping that part of her past secret, how do you know she's not hiding anything else? For all we know she could still be working for Senior Partners and she could be here to spy on us! I think Wesley should try to find anything else he can on her. And maybe we could get Spike to spy on her or something."  
  
"Look, Gunn, it's nice that you're worried an all, but really, I don't think they're anything to worry about. So what, she has a few secrets, there's no need to get someone like Spike involved." Angel paused to look around the room a bit, a puzzled look creeping upon his face. "Where is Spike, anyway? I don't remember him bugging me for a while."  
  
"Probably on another one of his little disappearing trips," Gunn said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Probably," Angel answered, leaning back into his chair.  
  
"Look, whatever, I just think that we should get him or someone else to check her out a bit, see if we can find anything else," Gunn said.  
  
"Anything else on who?" said a voice from the doorway.  
  
Gunn and Wesley whipped around to find Phoenix standing in the doorway, holding her report in her hands.  
  
"Oh, uh, nothing, just........." Angel says, fumbling around to gather all the papers on his desk.  
  
"Me? Yeah, I figured you'd all get curious. Everyone does," Phoenix said, rolling her eyes.  
  
All three men standing in the room looked at each other awkwardly.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys about the whole slayer thing, it's just I though--" Phoenix started.  
  
"—we'd think you were here to kill me," Angel finishes.  
  
"Pretty much. Anyways, I just got used to people reacting weird whenever I told them, so thought maybe I'd just not say anything. Should have known better, especially in a place like Wolfram and Hart. Sorry. Guess I better go pack then, " She turns to leave but Wesley grabs her arm, holding her back.  
  
"You're not gonna fire her are you?" he asks, looking at Angel. "Think about it, if she had wanted to kill you, or any of us for that matter, she would have done it already, don't you think?"  
  
"Who said anything about firing anyone?" Angel said. "I know I didn't."  
  
"Oh...I thought that...well, um, ok then." Phoenix said awkwardly, looking down at her feet.  
  
All of a sudden, a series of screams were heard in the hallway.  
  
Angel sighed and rolled his eyes. "What now?" he whispered, getting ready to get up and see what was happening, but the "disruption" in question suddenly came bursting in through the doors.  
  
"Look Captain Forehead, I know you don't like me, and honestly I don't like you either, but you gotta do someth-"Spike said as he walked purposely across the room, getting as far as Angel's desk before he froze, surprise dawning across his face.  
  
Spike slowly turned around to face Phoenix, who was staring wide-eyed at him, and sly smile covering up his surprise.  
  
"Well, well, well, who do we have here? The little bird of fire, huh? Well this is definitely the last place I'd expect to see you!" he exclaimed, now forgetting all thoughts of complaints to Angel.  
  
"Likewise," Phoenix said, a sarcastically polite smile pasted on her face, disgust creeping into her voice.  
  
"Wait a second," Angel interrupted. "You two know each other?"  
  
"I wouldn't really say 'know', more like we've met..."Phoenix said, all traces of a smile now gone from her face.  
  
"How...when?" Angel asked in disbelief. In his opinion, anyone who knew Spike deserved a bit of suspicion.  
  
Spike smiled widely. "Yeah, tell him where you know me from, luv."  
  
Phoenix glared darkly at Spike. "I had a bad experience a couple of years back."  
  
Spike's smile lessened. "Oh, please. You know you like it, you can't deny that. Up until I tried to rip your throat out, but before, you know it was good!"  
  
Angel blinked, his eyes going back and forth between Phoenix and Spike.  
  
"You mean...you two...oh my god...I don't think I needed to know that," Angel said, sitting back down slowly and looking as if he were about to pass out.  
  
Suddenly, Spike began to blur before fading out completely once again, but not before he could throw Angel one last smirk.  
  
That night, Phoenix walked out of her office and headed for the door next to it, carefully looking around for anyone approaching. Quietly, she got her silver pin out of her pocket and smoothly inserted it into the lock. Seconds later, a soft click sounded and she quickly opened the door and slipped in.  
  
After quietly closing the door behind her, she walked up to a file cabinet and started going through it, muttering under her breath. After a couple of minutes, she pulled out a red folder.  
  
"Bingo," she whispered, looking down at the file. The file contained a picture of a dark-haired, pale man sporting a goatee. Underneath the picture, the man's name was written: Brenden Lehs. Smiling to herself, Phoenix quietly slipped out of the room, holding the folder tightly in her hands. 


	4. Alleyway and Fake Coffee

A/N well thanks for those of u who send in reviews, I'm glad u like it! Well, something happens here, but its just the start.........hopefully I'll be able to fit the better part in the next chapter.........sorry for those who want to know, but the wait makes it even better.........besides, I don't have that much time to write, so enjoy this part for now!   
  
Phoenix walked slowly walked down a dark alley, looking around carefully. Her figure was casting a shadow on the ground, silhouetted against the bright lights of Los Angeles.  
  
"Come out a play, Brenden," she called out softly. "I know you're here."  
  
Catching movement to her right, Phoenix spun around fast enough to see a glimpse of a shadow moving towards her. Suddenly, a man tall, handsome man materialized from the shadows.  
  
"Well, well, well. Belinda. I thought you were no longer with us," he said in a deep, chilling voice.  
  
"Likewise, Brenden," Phoenix replied, coolly.  
  
"Well, what brings you here after so many years?" he asked in the same cold voice, taking a step into the light, revealing a neat black coat over a red shirt along with black pants.  
  
"Revenge," Phoenix replied with a snarl.  
  
"Oh, really?" Brenden asked with a hint of sarcasm.  
  
"Really," Phoenix said. In a flash, she retrieved a small dagger from her coat pocket and threw it sharply at Brenden, hitting him in the left shoulder.  
  
Instantly, Brenden started changing. His teeth grew and sharpened, his shoulder widened as muscle pilled on, and his hands grew into monstrous claws. An angry frown came upon his face. Growling, he sharply removed the dagger from his shoulder and threw it on the ground with a loud clang. Then he lunged.  
  
Phoenix had seen it coming though and she spun around, making Brenden crash into the alley wall behind her. He quickly recovered a came at her again. This time, she did not duck, but blocked, ready to return the attack. It quickly turned into a full-scale battle, Brenden fighting like a rabid animal, claws and teeth snatching at whatever he could get.. After a few minutes, Phoenix managed to get behind Brenden. She flipped him onto the ground, got a stake from her pocket, and stuck it clear through his heart.  
  
Brenden screamed, then growled at her, "I am no vampire. This will not kill me."  
  
"Maybe not, but it will hurt. Enough for you to leave me alone until I find a way to finish the job," Phoenix said, a look of pure hatred on her face. She turned, picked up her dagger, and walked away, leaving Brenden on the ground.   
  
That morning, Phoenix walked into Wolfram & Hart, her hair in a mess, her shirt ripped in several places, revealing bloody wounds. Small scratches covered her face and hands. She rushed into her office and slouched onto the couch. Slowly, she started looking at the cuts on her arms and hands, making sure nothing was too bad. Minutes later, Angel walked in.  
  
"Glad you're here, Fred wants to see.........you.........what happened to you?" he started, then stopped, eyeing her face and torn up shirt, a look of worry coming across his face.  
  
"I, uh.........fell.........out of a tree," she said awkwardly, as Angel looked down at her disbelievingly.  
  
"A very tall tree," she said, trying to sound more convincing. She stood up and walked to the small mirror hanging on her wall. "It doesn't look so bad," she said, eying her face. "I'll live." She turned to Angel and smiled reassuringly.  
  
"You should get someone to check those out," Angel said, worriedly, pointing at her left arm, which was slowly soaking her shirt sleeve in blood.  
  
"Really, I'm fine. Maybe I'll get Fred to check it out if she's not too busy, but right after I go home and change. If you'll excuse me." She grabbed her keys from her desk and walked past Angel out the door, leaving him standing there, still looking worried.   
  
A couple of hours later, Phoenix walked into the lab (freshly dressed) and found Fred arguing loudly with Spike. When she walked in, they both quieted, looking at her as if they had done something embarrassing.  
  
"Um, am I interrupting anything?" she asked awkwardly.  
  
"No," Spike snapped. "And what happened to your face, had another bad encounter with a vampire in a br-"  
  
"No," Phoenix snapped back, her tone icy enough to freeze up the whole room. "I had a little accident," she said briskly before turning to Fred. "Sorry it took so long, Angel said you wanted to see me," she finished, her voice regaining its normal warmth.  
  
"Yeah, I found some more evidence that could help," Fred said, glad to be able to get away from Spike. She grabbed a stack of paper from a nearby table and handed it to Phoenix. She looked up and frowned slightly. "What did happen to you? Are you okay?" she asked, worry starting to spread across her face.  
  
"I'm fine, okay, will everyone please stop asking. Like I said, I just had a little accident, that's all.........an encounter. It's nothing to worry about," she said, annoyed. "Anyway," she said, regaining her calm. "Thanks for that . I better go if I want to finish the redraft, get my list done, fix my arguments, buy proper clothes for the trial, and do all this by 9 this evening because I have an.........an appointment," Phoenix finished nervously.  
  
"Alright, then. I'll see you later. Good luck," Fred said, waving, while Spike rolled his eyes behind her with a slight snort.   
  
Phoenix walked into the employee's room, and started pouring herself a cup of coffee, not really paying attention to what she was doing, lost in thoughts about the pile of paperwork that awaited her in her office. Suddenly, Gunn walked in, calling out Phoenix's name. Caught by surprise, Phoenix jumped, spilling her full-to-the-rim cup all down her shirt. She looked up at a guilty Gunn who had immediately started muttering apologies and handing her napkins.  
  
"I am so sorry," Gunn said, helping Phoenix clean up the mess on the floor.  
  
"It's all right," Phoenix responded, dabbing napkins on her wet, now red shirt. "I'll live. So, what did you want?" she asked, looking up.  
  
"Well, there was this barely alive body discovered in the alley next to the hotel down the street. Police brought him to the hospital, but after being left alone in a room for 2 minutes, he vanished, leaving behind the wooden stake he'd been stabbed with. D'you know anything that could help us with that?" Gunn finished.  
  
"Let me think: almost dead guy found in a dark creepy alley vanishes without a trace from the hospital.........nope, no idea. But unless we figure out what kind of creature he was, we don't know why or how he ended up there. Because that guy was definitely not human," Phoenix said.  
  
"Good point. We got a sample of the guy's blood from the scene. Fred's analyzing it right now. With any luck, this guy might be an old client of Wolfram & Hart and we'd have his record on file," Gunn responded.  
  
"Oh.........yeah, ok.........cool. Hopefully Fred will figure it out. I'll go check out the alley again, maybe I can find something that will help," Phoenix said, half nervously.  
  
"Alright. I'll see you later then, let me know if you find anything. By the way Phoenix, sorry I was so tough on you for the first few days you were here. I guess I was wrong about you," Gunn said softly.  
  
"Thanks, Gunn," Phoenix said with a sad smile. "Means a lot coming from you."  
  
"It better, took a piece of my ego to admit I was wrong. Just don't tell Angel I said that," he said with a grin.  
  
Phoenix laughed softly. "Don't worry. I won't say a word," Phoenix promised. Gunn started walking away, but Phoenix called him back.  
  
"Hey, do you know where we can get a decent cup of coffee around here? Because this is most definitely not coffee," she said, pointing down at her red-soaked shirt.  
  
Gunn laughed. "Yeah, well, we do have a handful of vampire in the building. Coffee machine's in the other corner, but I gotta admit they should at least label them," Gunn said, pointing at the other side of the room, then left. 


	5. Files, Files, and Spike Encounter

A/N Ok, this is chapter 5, sry it took so long to update, but I had to rewrite this whole chapter plus 2 others because somehow, I typo'd my password(protection against nosy little brothers) 4 times( I still have no clue how I managed to do that) so now I cant open it....3 chapters I cant open, so I have to rewrite them all, and its pissing my off cuz its where most of the action happens....so im really mad, but that's ok...o and btw, reviews make me feel much better....and its easier to write when u feel better, so review review review and ill update!  
  
Disclaimer Don't own Angel, own Phoenix...that's it!  
  
Phoenix and her cup of not-blood walked down the hallway to her office, her cup precariously perched on top of a pile of papers she had just had Harmony print off. It was getting late and she had been in a hurry to get done, so she had stupidly assumed that she could take all the files along with her cup of coffee back to her office. One false step later, the cup toppled over, threatening to spill its contents on the carpet. Suddenly, Angel came up from behind her, snatching the cup moments before it hit the ground.  
  
"Oh, hi. Thanks for that. Maybe I should have made a second trip," Phoenix said awkwardly as Angel took half of her load from her.  
  
"Maybe, yeah," Angel said, smiling slightly at how ridiculous she looked as she tried to shift her large pile of documents to her other arm.  
  
"Anyway, I was looking for you. I got the demon report you asked for. The one for Cylosis. Living in the city for a few years, you hear a few things. Most of it just came from personal knowledge. You were right to go after that guy. He's pretty badass. Anyway, it should be somewhere in here," Phoenix said, shifting the stack of paper again, scanning the tabs until she found the one she was looking for.  
  
"Crap," she muttered after having pulled a bit too hard on the file, only to see the rest of them slip out of her grip and spread themselves onto the carpet. "Great."  
  
"You, maybe even a third trip would have been good," Angel said as he kneeled down to help Phoenix gather her files.  
  
"Yeah, really, I'll keep that in mind next time," Phoenix snorted. "Anyway, I just heard about the guy they found in the alley. So he just disappeared, huh?" she asked, slyly changing the subject.  
  
"You heard, huh? Yeah, nurses say they went to check on him and he'd just disappeared before they could even figure out who he was. Anyway, Fred's still trying to figure out what he is, which will probably lead to who he is," Angel said, gathering up a few more papers that had gone astray.  
  
"Do you think she will? I mean, apparently, this guy is like nothing you've ever seen before, how do you know she'll figure it out?" Phoenix asked.  
  
"Because she's Fred. She'll figure it out eventually. She always does," Angel replied.  
  
Phoenix nodded and continued pulling together her files, sinking back into her own thoughts and worries.  
  
"Well isn't this sweet? Look at you two love birds, picking up trash together. You look really cute, you know."  
  
"Spike, go....away....," Angel growled. He looked up at the platinum-blonde vampire standing above him.  
  
"Oh, so I hit a soft spot, didn't I?" Spike mused, a smirk coming across his face as it usually did when he was around Angel these. What could he say, the guy was just fun to annoy.  
  
"No, I always tell you to go away. So here I go again: go away!" Angel said as he stood back up and handed the rest of the files to Phoenix. "I'll see you later," he muttered before taking off towards his office, knowing that Spike would eventually follow, but hoping for at least a few minutes of privacy.  
  
Instead of following Angel as Phoenix had excepted, Spike stayed where he was, staring down at Phoenix who was still desperately trying to get the files to stay stacked.  
  
"He doesn't know, does he?" Spike asked with his usual smirk.  
  
"Doesn't know what?" Phoenix snapped.  
  
"About you. About what I know. I mean, it's not really something you want your little honey bunny finding out, is it? That you're a bloody 500-year- old slut who used to do vampires in whorehouses for mon-"Spike's colorful insult was cut off when Phoenix, who had now abandoned her files, jumped back to her feet. With a movement to quick to see, she had Spike pinned against the wall, her hand clutching his throat, nails digging into his skin.  
  
"What the- how'd you-?" Spike blabbered, oblivious to why Phoenix's hand hadn't gone straight through him, as it would have had it been any other person. He looked down at Phoenix, noticing that a slight breeze had just risen in the hallway, making Phoenix's hair float eerily around her head.  
  
"If you ever, I repeat, ever say anything like that again," Phoenix said, a threatening, harsh look iced on her face, "I swear you will regret ever meeting me because it will be the end of even your pathetic little ghostly existence," she finished through clenched teeth.  
  
Spike nodded, too stunned to say anything. Phoenix released her grip, making Spike slide down the wall and sending him crashing to the ground before he had time to get his feet anywhere solid.  
  
Phoenix cast one last icy stare in his direction, then picked up her pile of files with unusual ease and headed for her office, leaving Spike to stare back at her retreating back with nothing but shock on both his face and mind.  
  
A/N Ok, so this chapter is kinda short, but like I said, I had to rewrite the whole thing and Im trying to do it kinda quickly...anyway, hope u liked it, please review! 


	6. Fight and Big Monster

A/N Ok, it took me a bit longer to retype this chapter and it'll probably take me longer to do the next one, too, so I apologize, but that's the way things are. Anyway, I have nothing more to say, so on with the show!  
  
Disclaimer Own Phoenix, don't own Angel. Period.  
  
After her little encounter with Spike, Phoenix headed back to her office, not bothering to hide her now crappy mood. When she reached her door, she threw her pile of files on the ground before reaching in her pocket for her keys. However, as her hands reached for the door handle, she noticed the door was already open. She slowly put the keys back inside her jeans jacket pocket and opened the door, stepping inside the dark room. She looked around, trying to find any hint of forced entry or anything else that might explain why the door was already open when the only people with the keys to her office were herself and the janitors.  
  
She slowly walked further inside, her senses perked up, trying to detect even the slightest sign that someone else was still in the room. She noticed the open window, shutters clattering in the wind.  
  
As she neared the desk that sat on the opposite end of the room, a small creaking noise was heard from behind her. Phoenix twirled around, bringing her arm around with all the strength she could muster, ready to strike. But before her fist could meet its target it was snatched out of midair by another hand, its claws digging into her skin. As blood dripped down her arm and onto the floor, Phoenix looked up, coming straight to face with a snarling Brenden.  
  
"Hello Phoenix. Nice to see you again. Miss me?" Brenden said, his cold voice sending chills down Phoenix's back.  
  
"No," Phoenix said through clenched teeth. She tried to yank her arm out of him grip, but that only caused him to dig his nails in deeper. Phoenix flinched, painfully muffling a small scream.  
  
"You hurt me, Phoenix," Brenden growled. "And now it's my turn. My turn to hurt you so much, you'll never feel anything ever again. Ever."  
  
Quick as lightning, Brenden released his grip on Phoenix's arm, but before she could back away, he flung his arm at her chest, sending Phoenix crashing into the wall behind her. She quickly got back on her feet, trying to ignore the pain crawling up her back, ready to fight back. Brenden growled, then flung himself at Phoenix once again.  
  
Angel and Gunn sat in Angel's office, thinking about old times. Things had been so simple then. Well, as simple as things could get for a vampire with a soul and a demon-fighting street kid. Whatever, at least back then things had been clear. Good and evil. Light and dark. Day and night. Now every thing seemed gray, dusky (or dawny), and just plain confusing. Gunn wasn't even sure what time it was, he hadn't left the office and gone home in so long.  
  
Gunn's flashback thoughts were interrupted by a large crashing noise coming from a few doors down the hall.  
  
Angel sigh. "Pleas let that not be Spike again, I was just starting to get use to the quiet."  
  
Gunn stood up and headed for the door, wondering what all the commotion was, since the first crash had just been followed by a second and a third one.  
  
He walked out into the hallway and stood still, listening, trying to figure out where the noise was coming from.  
  
"Angel," Gunn called. "I think it's coming from Phoenix's office."  
  
Angel walked out of his office and followed Gunn down the hall towards Phoenix's room.  
  
Phoenix layed on the ground, looking positively battered. Brenden walked towards her, a triumphant grin spreading across his face.  
  
"And now," he whispered, bringing his face closer to Phoenix's, "you die."  
  
Phoenix looked up, a drop of blooding rolling down the side of her face, hair hanging down across her shoulders.  
  
"I don't think so," she said. She threw her fist back then thrust it forward. She felt it connect with the side of Brenden's skull, but before she could see the results, she jumped back to her feet, ready for Brenden's next attack. She cast a nervous glance around the room, practically feeling the walls pressing up against her. She wasn't really claustrophobic, but she knew she couldn't last long in such an enclosed space.  
  
Before she had more time to ponder how long she could stay alive in her present state, Brenden jumped back up to his feet, throwing his fist in her direction. She dogged it, but as she straightened back up, she felt Brenden's clawed hands grabbing hold of her shoulders and she felt herself being lifted off the ground.  
  
Soon, she was way up in the air, Brenden holding her up above his head. Phoenix felt his muscles tense underneath her as he prepared to throw her across the room. More as a reflex then as an actual move, Phoenix lifted her legs up, anchoring them against the ceiling and pushed down, using all the strength she had left. Brenden's knees buckled under the impact and he crashed down on the floor, Phoenix landing not just as neatly on the ground behind him.  
  
Brenden straightened up to a crouch, throwing a deadly glare at Phoenix, looking like he was just about ready to tear her insides out. Then, just as he was about to jump back up, his head twitched in the direction of the door. He growled slightly and, with on last piercing glance at Phoenix, he ran to the window and jumped out of it, leaving Phoenix sprawled out the floor next to her turned-over desk.  
  
Before Phoenix could come up with an answer as to why Brenden had just ran out, the door flew open to reveal Gunn and Angel, standing in the doorway, looking positively worried. The worry only increased when their eyes met the scene in front of them.  
  
Phoenix pulled herself up in a sitting position, sighed, and rested her head back against the upturned desk.  
  
Gunn and Angel looked from the Phoenix to the window to the completely trashed room before going back to Phoenix.  
  
"What the hell just happened?" Gunn said. Way to sum up everyone's feelings.  
  
Soon after Angel and Gunn had run in on Phoenix's little fight, the whole gang was gathered up in Angel's office once again, including Spike, who looked like he could start screaming like a little girl at any given moment. He kept throw nervous looks in Phoenix's direction, shifting around uncomfortably, and sticking unusually close to either Gunn or Angel.  
  
Everyone sat in silence for a while as Lorne bandaged up Phoenix's arm. When he finished, he walked back to his chair and sat down, then joined everyone else by staring at Phoenix.  
  
Suddenly, Gunn sighed loudly. "Fine, if no one else is gonna talk, I'll ask. What the hell was that thing and why the hell was it beating you up?"  
  
Phoenix straightened and looked at Gunn offensively. "It wasn't beating me up. I just don't work well in enclosed spaces, that's all."  
  
"Uh huh. That doesn't answer the question though," Gunn said, his face clearly saying he wasn't buying it.  
  
Phoenix sighed. "Fine, fine. But do I really have to explain it all. Because it will take more than just telling you who he is for you guys to understand."  
  
"Well I guess you better start talking then, Phoenickles," Lorne said.  
  
"Alright then. Well, first of all, I owe you all an apology. I haven't been completely honest with you. Honest about me." A few questioning stares followed, but no one made a comment, so Phoenix continued.  
  
"Well, you know that birth date you found, Wesley? Not real."  
  
"What does that have to do with anything?" Fred asked.  
  
Phoenix let out a small laugh. "Everything. I was born on January 19th, 1478. I changed my name when I was 36 and I've been a street slayer for more than 450 years."  
  
A few seconds of silence followed as everyone tried to process what they had just heard.  
  
"Ok, brain overload here. You're saying you're 525 years old?" Gunn asked incredulously.  
  
"Yep," Phoenix nodded.  
  
Angel shook his head, looking like he'd missed something really obvious. "I knew you looked familiar. 1821. In France. You were one of those vampire hunters that chased me and Darla out of Paris."  
  
"Yeah. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you guys before, it's just it's not something you're used to hearing, you know, so I thought I'd just keep it a secret," Phoenix, her eyes cast downward.  
  
"Ok, that is pretty weird, but it doesn't make sense, though. I mean, you cant just live forever, unless you're a vampire or something," Fred said, her scientist's instincts overcoming her amazement. "So how is it possible?"  
  
Phoenix looked at Fred, and suddenly, a small breeze started blowing in Angel's office, and, to everyone's amazement, Phoenix started... blowing away. Disappearing bit by bit as her entire body seemed to be wooshed away, like a sand castle being broken apart by the wind.  
  
As every stared at the spot where Phoenix had previously been, she reappeared the same, gradual kind of way on the arm of Fred's chair.  
  
"That's how," she said with a half-smile.  
  
Fred let out a small scream and jumped, nearly falling out of her chair. Everyone stared some more.  
  
"You're a Leolus," Wesley whispered, breaking the silence.  
  
"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner," Phoenix said sarcastically.  
  
"Ok, that's a lot to handle for 5 minutes' worth of conversation," Gunn said, scratching his head.  
  
"Ok, for those of us who aren't human encyclopedias or have implanted super knowledge, could you explain exactly what a Leolus is?" Angel asked, looking completely confused.  
  
"Mythical Greek creatures. Servant of Aeolus, the god of the wind. They have the power to control the elements of the air, as well as untangle their molecules and teleport themselves," Wesley answered in his usual encyclopedia self. "But I thought Leoluses had passed into legend long before out time."  
  
"We passed into legend according to people like you, Wes. And for a good reason, too. It's amazing how cruel humans can be when it comes to people that are different then them. We prefer to blend in, or just remain hidden," Phoenix said.  
  
"Ok, can we get back on topic here?" Angel asked, getting a bit impatient.  
  
"Right," Angel said. "The attacker dude. What was up with that?" Gunn asked.  
  
"Ok. Here comes the more complicated part of the story," Phoenix, leaning back into her chair, ready to retell her tale.  
  
A/N Ok, I didn't have time to type the whole of the story, so I left you with kind of a cliffhanger. Mwahahahaha....hehe...it's not really a cliffhanger, but yet, I don't usually do the whole cliffhanger thing. Whatever, I hope you liked it, please review! 


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